


violent delights

by recklessiris



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Nightwing (Comics), Red Robin (Comics), Superboy (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Grief/Mourning, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 11:19:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,643
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12982950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/recklessiris/pseuds/recklessiris
Summary: Tim unexpectedly loses Conner while more people are gaining superpowers. (Or how Tim comes to side with Dick on the suppression of powers)This is meant to take place before Nightwing: The New Order





	violent delights

Kon really wished he had realized just how out of hand access to superpowers had gotten before he was getting the ever-loving shit kicked out of him but someone who, under normal circumstances, he could’ve broken in half using just his pinky finger. He could tell that the man in the the black and glowing green armor was probably just a mercenary, hired by a larger, more powerful group of people. Just someone trying to do his job, maybe earn some money while the world was falling completely apart. 

 

But did _he_ have to be this guy’s target?

 

Kryptonite had clearly been weaved into the suit’s fabric, because every hit the man landed on Kon felt like pure hell. He wasn’t after any civilians, or any of the other Titans, it was clear that he only wanted Kon’s head, which was really great for him. 

 

Kryptonite-man, or whatever he went by (Kon really wasn’t sure, mercs usually didn’t bother with long villainous dialogues), hit him again, the little spikes on his knuckles digging into Kon’s skin. What a strange feeling, to be bulletproof one day and hurt by fists the next. 

 

He was getting tired. He felt unsteady on his feet, and he didn’t have the energy left in him to fly anymore. His comm had fallen out of his ear at some point, probably when the merc had hit him across the jaw. Good, Tim was probably bitching him out by now, and Kon wasn’t in any particular mood to hear it. 

 

_Tim._

 

He had been so stressed out for the past few months, about more humans acquiring superpowers. Kon had told him not to worry, told him that it would be alright and that things would calm down. As usual, Tim was right, and everything started going to hell. What was new?

 

The merc landed another especially good punch on him. The impact send Kon stumbling back, and then there was another hit, and he was on the concrete of Metropolis, staring up at the sky. If it weren’t for Kryptonite-man and the giant robots invading the city, it would actually be a pretty good day.

 

He thought he could probably withstand the merc’s attack from his position on the ground, at least defend himself from the onslaught of attacks until backup arrived. It seemed like the mercenary’s armor was designed to specifically hurt Kon, and that it wouldn’t be nearly as effective against anyone who didn’t have Krypton in their DNA. If he could just take a few more hits, he’d probably be fine.

 

And then he saw the merc approaching, pulling out a glowing green knife that had been strapped to his back.

 

Kon didn’t consider himself especially brilliant, but he was smart enough to know when he was royally fucked. 

 

He closed his eyes and sighed and wondered if this was all what it was meant to lead up to, if his whole life from being created in Luthor’s lab, to learning how to live on this planet, to being a part of something important, being a part of the Titans, was just barreling towards being killed by a hired mercenary.

 

He supposed there were good parts. He and Clark were at least on good terms now, and he loved Ma Kent like she was his own mother. He lived longer than some got the chance to. He got to be a part of the Titans and have stronger friendships than he ever thought he was capable of. He had Tim. 

 

Tim, who was beautiful and clever and intense. Tim, who he loved and who loved him. Tim, who had lost his biological parents a few years ago and lost Bruce just three months ago. Tim, who was about to lose Kon. 

 

It had been a good life, if a bit shorter than he would’ve liked.

 

Kon opened his eyes again just in time to see the Kryptonite blade enter his chest, and he couldn’t help but gasp with pain. It fucking _hurt_. 

 

He heard someone screaming his name, and he thought that his comm had fallen out, only to realize that it was just that loud of a scream. The mercenary didn’t take the blade out of his chest, just stood straight up again and stared down at Kon, as if he was watching the life bleed out of him. He didn’t have to watch long, because about two seconds later, he was falling over, his head blown from his body.

 

Kon turned his head, painfully, to see Jason Todd standing a few yards away, a shotgun being lowered from his shoulder. Tim had called for reinforcements. Kon thought it was a little primitive to use such a gun, but if Jason was going break his promise to Bruce, he might as well be flashy. 

 

And then Tim was running towards him, and then dropping to his knees beside him, and gently cradling Kon’s head in his lap. Everything was starting to get hazy, but Kon wanted to focus on this. 

 

“Kon,” Tim choked out, running his fingers through Kon’s hair. It felt nice amidst all the pain, and Kon leaned into the touch. 

 

There was the sensation of the blade being pulled out of his chest, and he supposed that Jason must’ve been the one to do it, but he didn’t know for sure because all he was paying attention to was Tim. He was grateful, though, because it meant that the Kryptonite wasn’t burning through him anymore and everything didn’t hurt so much.

 

Kon blinked up at Tim. He couldn’t see his eyes. 

 

“Take this off,” He whispered, pawing with what little energy he had left at Tim’s cowl, “Wanna see you.”

 

Tim, surprisingly, didn’t even hesitate, pulling the cowl off his head. There were tears running down his face, and one fell onto Kon’s cheek, hot and wet.

 

“Just hold on a little longer,” Tim told him, one of his hands pressed against the wound in Kon’s chest in a vain attempt to stop him from bleeding out.

 

“Love you,” Kon said, gazing at Tim, trying to memorize his features. Even when he was sad, he was beautiful, so beautiful, to Kon.

 

“L-Love you too,” Tim sobbed, “So much. You have to hold on for me.”

 

“Can’t,” Kon replied weakly, “M’sorry.” 

 

“Yes you _can_ ,” Tim insisted, having given up on applying pressure to the stab wound and was now gripping Kon’s hand instead, “Don’t leave me. Don’t go where I can’t follow you.”

 

Tim had lost so much, and Kon felt so terribly about not being able to stay here with him, but he could feel himself dying, fading. He clutched faintly back at Tim’s hand, and realized that he had taken off his gauntlets, and that there was just skin there. Just Tim, no Red Robin between them.

 

Kon felt cold and powerless even though it was sunny and warm out and he was in Tim’s arms. His strength was nearly nonexistent, and his vision was getting fuzzy and dark around the edges, like a vignette, but generally, he felt pretty happy. His body was numb enough to feel little pain and he had Tim here, and he really couldn’t ask for anything else except maybe more time. 

 

“Always with you,” He sighed, a small smile on his lips, because Tim would always carry half of Kon’s heart with him. His eyelids were getting heavy.

 

“Conner? Kon? Goddamnit, keep your eyes open!”

 

He couldn’t. He was so tired.

 

“Tim…” Kon murmured out. 

 

“Please, Kon, just stay with me.” Tim wept, curling his fingers a little tighter in Kon’s hair, but he really couldn’t feel it, or Tim’s hot tears hitting his face.

 

Soon, he couldn’t hear Tim’s sobbing and it sounded like he was underwater. His grip on Tim’s hand loosened. His vision was nearly gone, and he took one last glimpse at Tim, who was holding onto him like that could keep him here and alive, like he was precious. Kon smiled a small, weak, tired smile and took his last breath.

 

~

 

In more than one way, it was fucking disturbing. 

 

Jason watched numbly as Tim wept over the dead body of Superboy, of Conner Kent, of Kon-El, of his boyfriend. The closest thing that Jason had ever seen to a person being invincible, besides Superman, had been killed, and not even by something cosmic or godlike or all-powerful. It was just some mercenary in a Kryptonite suit that couldn’t even defend himself from a 12-gauge shell to the head.

 

It had been Jason’s first kill since he had promised Bruce that he would stop, but Bruce himself was dead, and Jason didn’t feel as bad about it as he thought he would’ve. Being merciful was what got Bruce killed in the first place, and Jason wasn’t about to be foolish enough to follow in his footsteps. The shotgun didn’t feel heavy in his grip, especially when he was watching Tim grieving over his freshly-killed lover.

 

He felt Dick’s presence appear by his side. He had just arrived from Blüdhaven, ten minutes too late. 

 

“Oh my god,” He spoke softly, shocked as his eyes studied the scene before him. Tim didn’t even look up from Conner’s corpse. Dick noticed the headless mercenary, and then the gun in Jason’s hand.

 

“Did you kill him?” Dick asked, turning to Jason

 

Jason broke his gaze from Tim and Conner to look at his older brother. It was clear he was upset, and not just by the fact that Superboy was dead, but because Jason had obviously just killed again.

 

“I didn’t make any fucking promises to you, so lose the look of betrayal.” Jason told him coldly. 

 

Dick huffed at Jason’s attitude, turning back to the scene in front of him, taking it all in. 

 

“He had Kryptonite.” He remarked, looking at the mercenary’s suit.

 

“Mhm,” Jason confirmed. 

 

There was a pause for a moment, and just the sound of Tim’s weeping filled the air. The rest of the Titan’s must’ve still been preoccupied, otherwise they would’ve been here by now, mourning the loss of a friend.

 

Suddenly, Dick spoke up. “See, this is why there needs to be regulations of this kind of thing, on powers, because-“

 

Jason let out a sudden, short bark of laughter, and not because anything was funny. “Are you fucking kidding me, Dick? Are you trying to use this to bolster your beliefs?”

 

“This wouldn’t of happened if -“

 

“You can’t just blame everything of superpowers, Dick!”

 

“Stop.”

 

Dick and Jason turned their attention to the sound of Tim’s voice, authoritative even in its deep sadness. His eyes were swollen and red and there were tears running down his face, and he was still holding onto Conner like his life depended on it. He looked nearly broken, and it wasn’t really surprising, because nearly everything that mattered had been ripped away from Tim by now.

 

“Just stop.” He whispered, before returning his attention back to Conner.

 

Jason closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath before he turned back to Dick.

 

“I’m going to go, because I think I’ve done enough for today.” He told his older brother, “Maybe you can get your ego in check and help Tim out instead of making Conner’s death a point in your argument against superpowers.”

 

“I wasn’t trying to-“

 

“I don’t want to hear it.” Jason interrupted before turning around and walking away from his brothers, not trusting himself not to react poorly to Dick being insensitive to Tim having just lost one of the most important people in his life.

 

~

 

It had been three months since Kon had died.

 

They didn’t bury him in Metropolis, but back in Smallville, Kansas, near, but not next to, Johnathan Kent’s grave. Tim thought that was kind of ironic, because for most of his life, Kon had tried to be a part of Clark’s family, and Clark had always harbored a slight wariness to him, even in death. Tim wished they had just let him bury Kon in the Wayne private cemetery. It belonged to Tim anyways, along with the rest of the manor, and then Tim could visit him everyday.

 

Still, he visited Kon often, almost once a week if not twice. He’d bring flowers and lay next to the grave and talk about his life and try to reach the boy buried in the ground beside him. 

 

_“Always with you.”_

 

And he was. There wasn’t a moment that went by in Tim’s days when Kon wasn’t on his mind. He already had a few Superboy t-shirts, but he took as many more as Clark and Martha would allow him and slept in them. They were all soft and worn and sometimes Tim thought he could smell Kon on them which was foolish because they had all been washed several times. Wearing them made Tim feel lonely and loved all at the same time.

 

Tim hadn’t put on the Red Robin uniform since Kon died, unable to face it, even as the world was falling to shambles. Most of the time he just wanted to sleep all day and not have to be a hero, not be what he was when he lost Kon. 

 

He ached.

 

The funeral had been one of the worst days of Tim’s life. They buried Kon in a suit, which made Tim want to scream, because that wasn’t who he was. He wasn’t crisp lines and cool indifference and professionalism. He was warm and loving and heroic and he was _Superboy,_ goddamnit. Tim just wanted to get one of his smuggled shirts and throw it in the casket with Kon’s body, but he had refrained.

 

They buried him under the name Conner Kent, which was fine. That was what most people who knew him called him, and he didn’t mind it. It just reminded Tim of the morning when they were lying in bed, being lazy, because for once there wasn’t some huge evil to defeat and they could just relax. Kon told Tim that he liked it when Tim called him Kon and not Conner, he said it felt more intimate. Tim had asked if he didn’t like being called Conner at all and Kon had said that it wasn’t a problem, just that Tim using his Kryptonian name was nice.

 

So that’s when Tim called him from then on out.

 

Now, Tim was pulling himself out of bed at the manor, alone, with no Kon to keep it warm. He had asked Alfred not to wake him up, just to let him sleep, and the older man had thankfully done as he wished. It was noon now which would’ve been fine if Tim was out all night patrolling as Red Robin, but he hadn’t been. He had just been grieving and feeling sorry for himself, which he hated doing, but it felt like he couldn’t get out of this rut.

 

There was something to motivate him today, though. Dick was at the manor, or more specifically, the Cave. Tim hadn’t seen him since Kon’s funeral.

 

He got up an got dressed before venturing into Bruce’s study. It all looked preserved, like nothing had been touched since Bruce died, and that was probably because it hadn’t been. Tim imagined Alfred couldn’t bring himself to organize it, having lost someone who was like a son to him. There were papers scattered on his desk and a pen clicked to write, and the desk chair hadn’t been pushed all the way in. Tim walked past the desk with caution, not wanting to disturb anything and feeling a pang of mourning for his late adopted father.

 

Tim found the secret panel on the wall behind one of the bookcases and opened one of the several passages down to the Cave before stepping onto the flight of stairs and closing the passage behind himself. It was dark, but Tim still knew the steps by muscle memory and hadn’t stumbled once as he reached the base of the stairs. He was met with a door, this one with a keypad and an fingerprint scanner. Tim entered the code and set his palm against the sensor, the door opening for him within seconds.

 

He paced into the cave, glancing around. He hadn’t been down in nearly a month, avoiding the Cave since the last time Jason had visited. It seemed even more empty and cold than before now that Bruce was dead and all of Tim’s siblings were no longer around. Jason came to get something or look up a file or make conversation every once in a while, but his stops in were infrequent. Damian disappeared after Bruce died, and Dick hadn’t come over until today.

 

Tim found him in front of Bruce’s huge computer system, looking up files on superheroes. 

 

“Hey,” Tim said, and Dick startled, turning around quickly in a defensive stance before relaxing at the sight of his younger brother.

 

“Oh, it’s you. You scared me.” Dick told him, a small smile on his face.

 

“You’re losing your edge.” Tim told him.

 

“I’m just tired,” Dick shrugged, turning back to the many monitors before looking over his shoulder. “And you’re so damn quiet.”

 

Tim approached him, studying the file he had pulled up. It was for Diana. Wonder Woman.

 

“What’re you doing?” Tim asked.

 

Dick looked away from the screen, seeming a little ashamed. 

 

“I’m aware of most of the league’s weaknesses, but I don’t know her’s.” He admitted.

 

“Hmm.” Tim replied.

 

“I know you don’t agree with what I’m doing here, but I’m trying to make the world a better place. A more equal place.” Dick explained, and Tim just stared at the monitor, reading the wall of text that Bruce had written about Diana.

 

Over the past few months, he had been doing a lot of thinking. A lot of it was about Kon, but with the news advertising the rise of superpowers that just regular civilians could buy, Tim thought about Dick and his ideas to eradicate all forms of superhuman abilities. 

 

On one hand, Tim knew people, cared about people with powers beyond normal human limits. Hell, he had been in love with Superboy. On the other, the availability of the powers was getting to be ridiculous, with people having devices that enhanced their strength being almost as common as owning a gun. That was the most commonly sold mechanism, but there were devices for other kinds of powers, and Tim could only imagine that the market was going to expand. It was becoming chaos.

 

He had lost Kon because of a group of people who were able to create a suit of armor that would be able to work completely against him. Even if Kon had managed to land a few good hits on the mercenary, they would end up hurting him in the end because of the Kryptonite. The suit also granted the man inside of it super strength and an abnormally high tolerance for pain. They did forget to safeguard against a 12 gauge shotgun shell, though. 

 

“Diana doesn’t have any specific weaknesses.” Tim told Dick, leaning against the counter in front of the screens. “You’re not going to find anything that makes her weak or shuts down her powers.”

 

“Damn it,” Dick murmured, “You sure?”

 

“Mhm,” Tim confirmed.

 

There was a moment of silence between them. Dick was in the Nightwing uniform, and Tim felt a pang of longing for Red Robin.

 

“How’s the vigilante work?” Tim asked.

 

“A wreck, with all the superpowers for sale.” Dick told him, turning his attention away from the monitor. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I love Kory more than anything in the world, but I just don’t think anyone on Earth should have that kind of power. We’ve done our work in Gotham without the aid of superpowers since the beginning.”

 

“Have you told her that?” Tim asked, a smirk on his face.

 

Dick sighed. “We’ve had…Discussions about it.”

 

“Discussions?”

 

“Arguments.”

 

It almost made Tim want to laugh.

 

He glanced over at the glass cases that held all the past Robin and Batgirl uniforms, the Batman Uniform, and now his own Red Robin uniform. Tim wasn’t trying to memorialize it, but Alfred had said it was the best way to keep it until he needed to use it again. Tim wondered if it would still fit the same, or if he had lost significant muscle mass in his three month break from crimefighting.

 

“Hey,” Dick said, calling back Tim’s attention, “I could really use your help with all of this.”

 

Tim studied his expression for a moment. It was open, honest. Dick never was a very good actor, at least when it came to Bat standards. He didn’t enjoy manipulating others, tricking them. He was a great performer, but never a great liar. 

 

Red Robin did need to stretch his legs.

 

“Okay.” Tim told him.

 

It was Dick’s turn to stare at him, except he seemed to be in shock.

 

“Really?” He asked, incredulous.

 

Tim sighed. “I lost Kon because of all this. I don’t want to see the same thing happen to anyone else, especially you and Kory. I don’t agree with stifling everyone’s powers, especially if they were born with them, but I don’t see any other options right now.”

 

“That’s….Thank you, Tim.” Dick said sincerely.

 

Tim paced away from the computer and towards the glass cases, coming to a stop in front of his Red Robin uniform. Red and black, no green. 

 

_They were his colors_.

 

Everything he did from here on out, was to prevent what happened to Kon from happening to anyone else. Tim was not about to lose another important person in his life, be it family or friend, because of this war for superpowers. 

 

“Yeah, no problem.” Tim shrugged, “Where do you want to start?”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! :) Let me know what you thought :)


End file.
